Florida A&M Defends Fraternity After Hazing Charges
“Hazing” is such a buzzword in the media that reporters flock to any hazing related story like trashy girls from a nearby university to the dancing cage at the annual PiKA Bahamas party. After Robert Champion died in a hazing related incident last year at Florida A&M, his parents went the American way and sued the school for not taking appropriate measures to eradicate the hazing culture on campus. And by the American way, I mean a complete and utter failure to accept personal responsibility and sue the other involved party for damages.
However, in a turn of events that surprised me and caused me to award my imaginary “Brass Ball Trophy of the week”, Florida A&M responded with a 23 page motion to dismiss the wrongful death suit. It stated:
“Respectfully, as a 26-year-old adult and leader in FAMU’s band, Mr. Champion should have refused to participate in the planned hazing event and reported it to law enforcement or University administrators. Under these circumstances, Florida’s taxpayers should not be held financially liable to Mr. Champion’s Estate for the ultimate result of his own imprudent, avoidable and tragic decision and death”
I was honestly shellshocked to see a University stepping up and, while not defending these practices, calling them what they are: VOLUNTARY. Any pledge, at any time, should he feel that his health is in danger, is free to walk out. When he signed his bid card, he knew there would be some degree of “education,” and if he felt it crossed the line, it was his own personal responsibility to grow a pair and walk right out of that door. Given the epidemic of Universities trying to eliminate Greek systems entirely because of hazing problems, I have major respect for the leadership at Florida A&M for allowing grown men to participate voluntarily in behaviors which may or may not be really stupid. Because, let’s face it, that’s what guys in their early twenties do.
In a study quoted later in the article, a full 85% of students knew mental hazing would occur before joining their respective organizations, and 75% knew physical hazing would occur. I’m not really sure who the other 15% are, and I assume they joined co-ed fraternities.
While there will no doubt be changes made at Florida A&M to avoid another expensive lawsuit, I hope that the university’s public statement that participation in any unpleasant bonding and education exercises is entirely voluntary will signal a turn in the tide of the anti-Greek sentiment sweeping college administration nationwide.
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Er, solid article, but isn’t that title perhaps a bit misleading? Unless you’re classifying an HBCU’s marching band as a fraternity, I didn’t see any mention of a Greek-letter house in the article.
12 years ago at 5:38 pmThe fraternity is Kappa Kappa Psi. The one from the movie Drumline. They haze pretty hard at HBCUs, but at my school they are a bunch of pussys. They are a honorary band service organization. They are coed and call their girls “brothers” so you can’t expect much from them.
12 years ago at 6:35 pmHm, gotcha. Guess I learned something new today, thanks for the clarification.
12 years ago at 8:34 pmI agree 99% of the time schools and the public are overly sensitive about hazing, however in this case I feel like there should actually be some punishment for the kids involved. The kid had to walk from the back of the bus to the front and was literally beat to death by other band members. He knew he would be punched and such yes, but I highly doubt he thought “I bet these guys I spend every day with are going to beat me to death.” Drunkenly jack a pledge in his face fine he probably deserved it, throw your drink at them they know how to do laundry, taking a baseball bat to their skull is probably a bit much. There are lines and at the point you beat somebody to death with your fists you probably went to far.
12 years ago at 5:52 pmToo*
12 years ago at 6:48 pm^^ tl;dr
12 years ago at 12:11 amWholeheartedly, agree. There is a line, not actually a fine line, but a line nonetheless. If you beat a pledge to an extent he dies, you deserve to be anally violated in jail.
12 years ago at 6:50 amPlus, if you beat a pledge to death, he can’t pay dues the next semester.
12 years ago at 10:27 am